TWO THUMBS UP

Yesterday's Hindi movie -- Khaaki -- was an action-western-road-buddy-comedy-romance-horror film with a Miami vice-looking bad guy, cute corrupt cop (cute in an thin nose/lips/cheeks Anglo kind of way, if you go for that sort of thing) and a seasoned good cop who useta be top box office and has Eric Estrada hair. Again the style was: high tight jeans w/ belts, shirts tucked in, sleeves rolled. up. There were nods to Scooby Doo, Gunsmoke, Fritz Lang's early work, L.A. (With DeNiro and Pacino), Papillion, Lost in America, Bonnie & Clyde, a Britny Spears Video, Law and Order and that killer chase movie w/ Steve McQueen. In other words, it kicked *ass*. A few minutes in the lights went up and seven Salwaar Grrlz (contemporary young women in long Punjabi dress ensembles w/ baggy pants and scarves) filed past us, each w/ her own theme color, matching dupata (scarf) covering her assets. 'Twas odd since you rarely see women at movies (they must wait to catch them on cable/video).....The excuses for dance sequences included: driving past a movie set, falilng asleep in the sun, and a Muslim funeral (in this one they weren't the bad guys! Instead it was a corrupt cop turned evil crook).

Later there was a "Playground" or handstand workshop with Lino at the shala, in which he explained (again!) how the breath controls the movement for jump-thrus and arm balances. He was in fine form: "You don't think about it, you-a do it." Miss Y and I helped each other into handstand several ways -- including from prasarita paddatanasana (standing legs apart forward bend) and from upavista konasana (sitting wide angle forward bend). It was then I realized how weak I am from the diarrhea/parasite/drugs.

This AM I awakend to a lovely call from The Man in the US and only later realized I had a splitting headache / nausea / major fatigue. The headache started to subside after having rehydration salts, Advil, about a gallon of water and two coconuts (both with a fair amount of meat or gungy; after drinking the water w/ used straw the woman cuts it in half and you scrape out the insides w/ a piece of the shell. Coconut has always been one of my most favorite things ever and now even moreso). Then I went over to the German Bakery (less than 1/2 block stroll down the beach) for breakfast and a pot a chai. I was still feeling a bit off -- apparently I haven't been taking the parasite seriously enough -- and afterwards forced myself to go to my room and lie down / read / sleep for the next five hours. I think it's helped immeasurably. Later I fought w/ my Chinese CD playa for 15 mins and did exercises for my knee to Jeff Buckley, (it's tre sensitive due to what I think is [but may not actually be] an improper adjustment in cobbler's pose. Otherwise I'm quite pleased w/ the instruction here, which is even better than it was two years ago....).

Bindi and Miss Y (Bindi is a drummer, Y sings and plays harmonium) are leading a kirtan at the yoga shala tomorrow night and while watching the sunset tonight --- giant red-orange ball type -- we called out to and recruited a lad walking by w/ a guitar in his hand (a pierced teacher from Sheffield on a nine-month world tour, starting in India). He may bring an Irish banjo player. I will bring the lighter.....